DE LA SALLE UNIVERSITY

MODULE 3

Gokongwei College of Engineering

Chemical Engineering Department
Physical Principles 1 (PHYPRN1)

LIQUIDS
Critical Phenomena in Liquids
When water is sealed in an evacuated tube, a certain amount will evaporate to form vapor. As soon as
equilibrium is established between the liquid and vapor, the pressure exerted by the vapor is known as the
saturated vapor pressure. When the critical point is reached, there will be no distinction between the liquid
and the vapor. At this point, the physical properties of liquid and vapor become identical. At this point, in
general, no liquid can exist as such at temperatures above the critical under any applied pressure.
Critical Constants of Gases
Gas

Tc (C)

Pc (atm)

Gas

Tc (C)

Pc (atm)

Argon
Carbon dioxide
Carbon monoxide
Helium
Hydrogen

-122
30.98
-139
-267.9
-239.9

48
73
35
2.26
12.8

Neon
Nitrogen
Oxygen
Water
Ethyl Alcohol

-228.7
-147.1
.118.8
374.4
243.1

25.9
33.5
49.7
219.5
63.1

Properties of Liquids
Density is the ratio of mass to volume of a substance. It is affected by temperature and pressure in liquids
and gases. Specific gravity is the ratio of the density of a substance and the density of a reference substance.
Water at 4C makes the density of a substance numerically equal to its specific gravity for both solids and
liquids. At this temperature, the density of water is 1 g/mL. For gases, air is used as a reference substance.
Density of Liquids
SG20C/4C

Compound

SG20C/4C

Acetone
CCl4
Toluene
Hexane
Ethanol

0.791
1.595
0.866
0.659
0.789

Benzene
Methanol
Glycerol
(C2H5)2O
Butane

0.879
0.792
1.26050C
0.70825C
0.579

Viscosity is defined as the resistance offered by a

fluid to the flow of another fluid. In gases, viscosity
increases with increasing temperature. At low
pressures, viscosity is not affected by pressure.
The viscosity of a liquid can be computed using
Pouiseuilles equation and the apparatus called
Ostwald Viscosimeter:
Pr 4 t

8LV
where
P pressure head, dynes/cm2
r radius of a capillary tube, cm
L length of the capillary tube, cm

Viscosity of Liquids

Viscosity (cP)

Compound

2
1.8
1.6
1.4
1.2
1
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0

Benzene
CCl4
Ethanol
ether
mercury
water

20

40

60

80

Temperature (deg C)

100

DE LA SALLE UNIVERSITY

MODULE 3

Gokongwei College of Engineering

Chemical Engineering Department
Physical Principles 1 (PHYPRN1)

V volume of the fluid

t time of flow
Using the Poiseuille equation, the ratio of the viscosities is
Pr 4 t

water 8LV water

where P=V=r for two liquids

liquid Pr 4 t

8 LV liquid
Using the same viscosimeter and since pressure varies directly with the density of the fluids, the ratio can be
reduced to
water Pt water t water

liquid Pt liquid t liquid

Stokes Law is also used in measuring the viscosity of a fluid through a falling spherical body in a falling
sphere viscometer. This law is applicable when the radius of the falling body is greater than the distance
between the molecules of the fluid. Stokes law is given by the equation:
2r 2 ( m )g

9
This equation is used in a viscometer consisting of a cylindrical tube with a fluid of density, m. A steel ball
of density, and radius, r is dropped through the neck of the tube and the time, t is measured for the ball to
pass through two fixed points of length, L. If the process is repeated using a liquid of known density, then the
equation can be reduced to a ratio
1 ( m1 )t 1

2 ( m2 )t 2
Surface Tension is the amount of work required to increase the surface area of a liquid by one unit of area.
This property can be measured in two ways: capillary-rise method and du Nouy Ring Method. In the first
method, when a capillary tube of radius, r is placed in a liquid of density, that wet its surface, the liquid is
observed to rise at a height, h. Then the surface tension can be computed as
hdgr

2
In using the de Nouy Ring Method or simply the tensiometer, which was developed in Rockyfeller Institute
for Medical Research, the fundamental equation is used
mg

2L
where m weights necessary for the restoration of the tensiometers horizontal position
L mean circumference of the ring
correction factor
Surface Tension of Some Liquids
Substance

water
methanol
ethanol

(dynes/cm)

72.8
22.6
22.3

Substance

benzene
glycerol
hexane

(dynes/cm)

28.9
63.4
18.4

DE LA SALLE UNIVERSITY

MODULE 3

Gokongwei College of Engineering

Chemical Engineering Department
Physical Principles 1 (PHYPRN1)

SAMPLE PROBLEMS
1. Acetone (=0.792 g/mL) rises to a height of 9.39 cm at 20C in a capillary tube, which has a radius of
0.065 mm. Calculate the surface tension of acetone from these data.
2. In the determination of the surface tension of a liquid by the ring method, it was found out that the ring
broke away from the surface when the dial reading was 28.5. The circumference of the ring was 4.0 cm.
It required 0.300 gram to restore the ring to its original position. Under the conditions of the experiment,
the correction factor was 0.92. What is the surface tension of the liquid at the given temperature?
3. The time of efflux of water through an Ostwald viscosimeter is 1.52 minutes. For the same volume of an
organic liquid of density 1.10 g/mL the time is 2.25 minutes. Find its absolute viscosity at 20C. The
absolute viscosity of water at 20C is 1 cP.
4. A steel ball of density 7.90 g/mL and 4 mm diameter requires 55 sec to fall a distance of 1 meter through
a liquid of density 1.10 g/mL. Calculate the viscosity of the liquid in Pa-sec.
5. Referring to the previous problem, what is the viscosity of an unknown liquid with a mass of 19.2 grams
per 25 mL that required 23 sec to fall the same distance?